Antimicrobials News

A recent study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases outlined the clinical characteristics of invasive Escherichia coli disease by stratifying cases by acquisition setting, patient age and infection outcome.

A probiotic safely reduced Staphylococcus aureus colonization in a phase 2 human trial without harming other gut microbiota, suggesting a potential approach to preventing infection without using antibiotics.

Antibiotic prescribing was high among patients with COVID-19, but researchers found that antimicrobial stewardship programs with prospective audit and feedback helped optimize antibiotic treatments among these patients.

Another study has demonstrated that a shorter course of antibiotics may be better, this time for the treatment of complicated UTIs when antibiotics with comparable IV and oral bioavailability are administered.

An analysis of phase 3 trials of patients with complicated UTIs found that having discordant outcomes at a test-of-cure visit — clinical success but microbiological failure — was associated with an increased risk for late clinical failure.

Massachusetts health officials detected a novel strain of gonorrhea with reduced susceptibility or resistance to five antibiotic classes — the first of its kind in the United States.

Shorter durations of antibiotic therapy are now recommended for many infections. Although practice has begun to change, the “shorter is better” mantra has not reached all prescribers.

What drew me to infectious diseases was the potentially enormous impact it has — not only on individuals but on societies.

There has been a significant increase in the number of people receiving home infusion therapy over the last decade, but a study found that many who deliver these services have no formal training in infection surveillance.

The optimal duration of antibiotic therapy has been a matter of some debate, and increasingly, research is showing that shorter durations are just as effective as longer courses for many infections.